sounded relieved.
B ACK AT THE RANCH , they weren’t quite sure what to do with themselves. John and his father were working, and Monica and the other guests weren’t in sight. The girls took thorough care of their horses, then meandered through the empty ranch house. “I guess my mom must have gone to the horse auction with my dad,” Kate said. They went out to the porch and sat down in the rocking chairs there.
“Nice porch,” Emily said as she rocked.
“Nice prairie,” Carole added.
“Yeah.”
“Where do you think Monica is?” Carole asked.
“I don’t know,” Kate said. “Wish she was out here.”
“Well,” Stevie said, “we should probably get ready to ride again.”
“Good idea!” Lisa stood up. “Why don’t we go out to the rock where we had Stevie’s birthday picnic and eat lunch out there?”
“That’s a great idea!” Kate stood up, too, looking enthused. “We’ve got some picnic tables and benches and straw bales out there now, because we have campfires there all the time. Emily, I’m sure we could improvise a mounting ramp for you.”
“Great!”
“I’ll call Christine’s house and leave her a message, so she knows where to find us,” Kate said, heading into the ranch house, “and then I think we should go ask Monica if she wants to come, too. She’s had almost a day to reconsider. I bet she’s ready to ride now.”
“I hope so,” Carole said. “She’ll feel so much happier once she’s on a horse.” Carole believed horses always made the tough times in her life easier.
They all went to the front door of the Hopkinses’ bunkhouse. Kate knocked loudly. After a long pause, Mrs. Hopkins opened the door just wide enough to stick her head out. She gave them an apologetic smile.
“We’d like to speak to Monica, please,” Kate said politely.
Mrs. Hopkins looked dismayed. “I’m sorry, dears,” she whispered, “but I don’t think she’s feeling up to visitors just now.”
“We just want to talk to her,” Kate said.
“We’d like her to come riding with us,” Emily added.
Mrs. Hopkins didn’t budge. “She’s busy right now. She’s in the middle of her physical therapy exercises.”
“That’s okay,” Kate said. “We’ll wait.”
Mrs. Hopkins gave them a long look. “I think maybe you don’t understand,” she said, still in a whisper. “Monica’s not going to be able to ride anymore. Her father and I think it’s too dangerous. And her accident has made her a little depressed. Kate, it’s not that she doesn’t want to be friends. She’s just having a hard time here. We’ve asked Mr. Brightstar to drive us around the ranch this afternoon in the pickup truck, so she’ll be able to enjoy the scenery. But that’s all Monica has planned for today. I’ll tell her you said hello.”
“Wait!” Kate cried, as Mrs. Hopkins clicked the door shut. Kate’s shoulders sagged. “She didn’t even let us talk to Monica,” she said.
Lisa put her arm around Kate. “We’ll try again later,” she said. “We won’t give up.” She gentlyturned her friend around, and they started walking back to the barn.
“Imagine seeing the ranch from the cab of a pickup truck!” Stevie said. “That would be enough to depress anyone.”
“It’s just so irritating!” Emily exclaimed. “Why do they think horseback riding would be any more dangerous for Monica now than it was before she lost her leg? I mean, accidents can happen to anyone, on any horse.”
“Probably they worry about her losing her balance,” Lisa said. She didn’t understand why Monica’s parents were so worried, but she could see why riding would now be more difficult for her. And probably Monica’s parents were simply afraid to have her hurt again.
“They can’t keep her safe from everything,” Emily said, still angry. “She could choke to death on a piece of toast, for Pete’s sake. Mr. Brightstar’s truck could crash into a ravine. A meteor could fall on her head.
B ACK AT THE RANCH , they weren’t quite sure what to do with themselves. John and his father were working, and Monica and the other guests weren’t in sight. The girls took thorough care of their horses, then meandered through the empty ranch house. “I guess my mom must have gone to the horse auction with my dad,” Kate said. They went out to the porch and sat down in the rocking chairs there.
“Nice porch,” Emily said as she rocked.
“Nice prairie,” Carole added.
“Yeah.”
“Where do you think Monica is?” Carole asked.
“I don’t know,” Kate said. “Wish she was out here.”
“Well,” Stevie said, “we should probably get ready to ride again.”
“Good idea!” Lisa stood up. “Why don’t we go out to the rock where we had Stevie’s birthday picnic and eat lunch out there?”
“That’s a great idea!” Kate stood up, too, looking enthused. “We’ve got some picnic tables and benches and straw bales out there now, because we have campfires there all the time. Emily, I’m sure we could improvise a mounting ramp for you.”
“Great!”
“I’ll call Christine’s house and leave her a message, so she knows where to find us,” Kate said, heading into the ranch house, “and then I think we should go ask Monica if she wants to come, too. She’s had almost a day to reconsider. I bet she’s ready to ride now.”
“I hope so,” Carole said. “She’ll feel so much happier once she’s on a horse.” Carole believed horses always made the tough times in her life easier.
They all went to the front door of the Hopkinses’ bunkhouse. Kate knocked loudly. After a long pause, Mrs. Hopkins opened the door just wide enough to stick her head out. She gave them an apologetic smile.
“We’d like to speak to Monica, please,” Kate said politely.
Mrs. Hopkins looked dismayed. “I’m sorry, dears,” she whispered, “but I don’t think she’s feeling up to visitors just now.”
“We just want to talk to her,” Kate said.
“We’d like her to come riding with us,” Emily added.
Mrs. Hopkins didn’t budge. “She’s busy right now. She’s in the middle of her physical therapy exercises.”
“That’s okay,” Kate said. “We’ll wait.”
Mrs. Hopkins gave them a long look. “I think maybe you don’t understand,” she said, still in a whisper. “Monica’s not going to be able to ride anymore. Her father and I think it’s too dangerous. And her accident has made her a little depressed. Kate, it’s not that she doesn’t want to be friends. She’s just having a hard time here. We’ve asked Mr. Brightstar to drive us around the ranch this afternoon in the pickup truck, so she’ll be able to enjoy the scenery. But that’s all Monica has planned for today. I’ll tell her you said hello.”
“Wait!” Kate cried, as Mrs. Hopkins clicked the door shut. Kate’s shoulders sagged. “She didn’t even let us talk to Monica,” she said.
Lisa put her arm around Kate. “We’ll try again later,” she said. “We won’t give up.” She gentlyturned her friend around, and they started walking back to the barn.
“Imagine seeing the ranch from the cab of a pickup truck!” Stevie said. “That would be enough to depress anyone.”
“It’s just so irritating!” Emily exclaimed. “Why do they think horseback riding would be any more dangerous for Monica now than it was before she lost her leg? I mean, accidents can happen to anyone, on any horse.”
“Probably they worry about her losing her balance,” Lisa said. She didn’t understand why Monica’s parents were so worried, but she could see why riding would now be more difficult for her. And probably Monica’s parents were simply afraid to have her hurt again.
“They can’t keep her safe from everything,” Emily said, still angry. “She could choke to death on a piece of toast, for Pete’s sake. Mr. Brightstar’s truck could crash into a ravine. A meteor could fall on her head.
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